Yors Castle
At the royal palace in Yors Castle, a group of attendees was discussing in front of the King of Yors, Francis Norton.
Francis Norton is the 17th generation of the royal family in Yors Castle. He is currently around the age of 58 and has a gray-white beard on his chin.
His muscular figure seemed to be detached from his real age since he looked to be someone much younger. Despite being aged, his five facial features were close to perfection, giving him a majestic aura that befitted a king.
Standing beside him was his beloved daughter and the princess of Yors Castle, Kate Norton.
Kate Norton is a beautiful young woman in her 20s. She has an enchantingly graceful and slender figure to accompany her majestic aura.
"Father, the situation in Lux Forest is becoming more uncontrollable. At this rate, our Yors Castle might be invaded by those monsters." Kate Norton said with a worried expression.
And she continued, "Ever since we lost the Ferold's Ring, we have been on the decline despite the prosperity we have on the surface. Many soldiers have been sent to search for the Ferold's Ring, but there have still not been any results."
"This is indeed the problem, but what can we do? There are zero traces of the Ferold's Ring and the world is so vast." Francis Norton sighed softly.
This had been an ongoing problem in the Yors Castle, but he, as the king, was unable to do anything.
"I heard rumors of some adventurers that can revive and have magical power, but even they are helpless in this matter. I think this is going to be the end of my Yors Castle."
"Father, I've decided." Kate Norton clenched her fist and knelt to one knee.
"Please allow your daughter to head outside to look for the Ferold's Ring. As the princess, I can't just sit back and do nothing."
"No can do-"
"Father, this is an impending crisis for Yors Castle. Are you still going to worry about my safety over the citizens of Yors?"
Kate Norton was adamant about her decision to explore outside. She was the type to refuse to accept her fate without doing anything.
Seeing his daughter's resolute expression, Francis Norton was left in a difficult spot. He did not wish for his daughter to be in danger, but it was true that she was the only one with a higher chance of finding the Ferold's Ring.
After all, she had been baptized before and had an affinity with it. Though, she had not been able to sense its whereabouts throughout the year until recently.
Just when Francis Norton was about to speak, the attendees that were discussing with each other also knelt on one knee.
"We beg your majesty to let Princess Kate go and retrieve the Ferold's Ring." They all said in unison.
With everyone urging him, Francis Norton was placed in a difficult spot. However, as the king of Yors Castle, he could no longer choose to be selfish and do what a king must do for his subjects.
"Alright, I've heard enough. Princess Kate shall be escorted by a batch of soldiers to protect her in her journey." Francis Norton stood up and commanded.
"Thank you, father. I will not disappoint you." Kate Norton smiled brightly and stood up.
"Make sure to place your safety as the utmost priority."
—
While the turbulence in Yors Castle is beginning, Tang Qiaolian has returned to the private room in the inn.
"Lei Zhen, I have something to tell you." Tang Qiaolian said. And before she could continue her words, Lei Zhen interrupted her.
"It's fine, Qiaolian. You have helped me a lot already." He said calmly.
"You knew?"
"Well, given how you rush out to accept a call. I'm pretty sure something important must have come up."
Tang Qiaolian nodded her head. "A new dungeon has appeared and every guild is preparing a strategy to get the first clear. My guild is no exception either and since I'm the guild leader, I'll need to take the lead to guide them."
"I'll say… why do you have a guilty look on your face?" Lei Zhen chuckled softly.
"I know my level is probably unable to enter the area of the new dungeon, and I can't expect you to always take out your time to help me. You always tell me not to underestimate women, but aren't you underestimating me a lot here?"
Her face quickly became red from embarrassment due to Lei Zhen using her own words against her.
"Hmph, then I'll get going now." She said, turning around and preparing to leave.
She knew Lei Zhen was trying to ease her up since she did give him the promise to help him out, but now she had to renege it due to special circumstances.
Right when she was near the door, she glanced at him for a moment and smiled, "Make sure to solve that experience problem of yours. The levels might not be the most important factor, but you still need to level up to upgrade your skills tree."
With that last advice, Tang Qiaolian clicked a button in the system prompt and teleported away.
Sometime later, Lei Zhen opened the map that indicated he was on the East Continent. There are a total of four known continents in Magnolia, and to travel to another continent requires a lot of money. Each continent occupies a lot of acres and has multiple cities.
The Lux Forest and Yors Castle are both located on the west side of the East Continent.
The path to Yors Castle is filled with monsters, but luckily for him, Yors Castle is a trading area. This means that there is already a road built that leads to Yors Castle.
Therefore, the monsters along the path aren't the dangerous part.
The true danger is the Lux Forest which is extremely near Yors Castle and has monsters that threaten its safety daily.
"No wonder why so many players go to Yors Castle. With the monsters in Lux Forest being a threat, the adventurers must be getting a hefty pay to deflect them." Lei Zhen calmly read the current situation and realized his journey is going to be more difficult.